Convertible portable duck blind and tent



y 1, 1953 w. H. GRAHAM 2,841,159

CONVERTIBLE PORTABLE nucx BLIND AND TENT Filed April 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 William H. Graham INVENTOR.

M; BE Wm y 1, 1953- w. H. GRAHAM 2,841,159

CONVERTIBLE PORTABLE nucx BLIND AND TENT Filed a rnzo, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 William H. Graham INVEN TOR.

dad WWMOLW United States Patent 7 2,841,159 CONVERTIBLE PORTABLE DUCK BLIND AND TENT William H. Graham, Tooele, Utah Application April 20, 1956, Serial No. 579,517

1 Claim. (Cl. 135-4) This present invention relates to new and useful improvements in portable duck blinds of a knockdown construction which may be converted into a pup tent.

An important object of the invention is to provide a foldable frame over which a canvas or other suitable flexible cover is placed to form a substantially square shaped enclosure for use in concealing a hunter and in which the frame and cover may be arranged with sloping sides to form a pup tent.

Another object is to construct the frame with corner posts having stakes at their lower ends for driving into the ground and pivotally attaching rails to the upper portion of the posts for folding the frame into a compact form for convenient portability.

A further object is to provide a releasable cross bar at the front of the frame to afford access for a person for entering or leaving the enclosure.

A still further object is to provide a cover adapted to enclose the rear, sides, front and top of-the frame and in which the top comprises a flap to extend partly over the front of the frame to form a window through which the hunter may fire in a forward direction, or the flap may be folded partly back on the top of the frame to form an opening for firing in an upward direction.

Another object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like.

numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the frame erected to form a duck blind; V

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the folded frame;

Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on the lines 3 3 and 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the hooks on the front posts or legs for the door;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the hook for fastening the front cross bar;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the duck blind showing the top flap and door open;

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the door closed and with the top flap folded partly back to form an overhead shooting opening;

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the top flap and door partly closed;

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the top flap and door arranged to form a front shooting window;

Figure 11 is a plan view of the cover ready for folding;

Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the cover folded; and

Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the frame and cover arranged to form a pup tent.

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Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a frame generally and which comprises a pair of front cover posts or legs 6 and 7, and a pair of rear corner posts or legs 8 and 9, which may be constructed of wood or metal. Metal stakes 10 are secured to the lower ends ofthe posts or legs to facilitate forcing or driving the same into the ground.

' A U-shaped metal reinforcing cap 11 is secured in inverted position on top of each of the front posts or legs and a metal cap 12 of square shape in cross section is secured on top of each of the rear posts or legs. A pair of side rails 13 and 14 are provided at each end with U-shaped metal reinforcing caps 15 and the rails are secured at their front ends to the upper portion of the front legs by bolts and nuts 16 or other suitable fasteners which pass horizontally through the caps of the posts or legs and through the rails to pivotally connect the rails and posts or legs to each other for vertical swinging movement of one relative to the other. The rear ends of the rails are similarly connected to the rear posts or legs by bolts and nuts 17.

A rear rail 18 is also provided at each end with U-shaped metal reinforcing caps 19 and the rear rail is pivotally connected to the rear posts by a bolt and nut 20 for vertical swinging movement of one relative to the other, whereby the frame may be folded into the position as shown in Figure 2.

A front cross bar 21 is provided at one end with a U-shaped metal reinforcing cap 22 which is pivoted to the upper portion of front post or legs 7 by a bolt and nut 23 for vertical swinging movement of the cross bar and the other end portion of the cross bar is provided with a vertical opening 24 to releasably receive the upstanding end portion 25 of an L-shaped pin 26 which has its horizontal portion 27 swingably positioned in a transverse opening 28 in the upper portion of front leg 6. The cross bar locks the frame in erected position, as shown in Figure l.

A canvas or other suitable flexible cover is designated 1 generally at 30 and comprises a substantially T-shaped body which includes a rectangular shaped portion 31 which is folded along the transverse lines 32, 33 and 34 to form a side wall 35, back wall 36, side wall 37 and a door 38 adapted for covering the corresponding portions of the frame. A top flap 39 projects laterally from one longitudinal edge of the rectangular shaped portion 31 in the region of the back wall 36 and the flap 39 is of a width greater than that of the back wall to form side flaps 40 and 41 at the sides of the top flap.

The cover is wrapped around the sides and rear of the frame 5 and the side wall 35 is provided with grommets 42 engaged by the upstanding ends 43 of L-shaped pins 44 which are secured to the front post or leg 6 and the side wall 37 and door 38 are also provided with grommets 45 and 46 respectively engaged by a similar L-shaped pins 47 secured to the other front post or leg 7 to secure the cover to the frame, in the position shown in Figure 7. The free edge of the door 38 is also provided with grommets 48 to engage the pins 44 of the front post or leg 6 to secure the door in closed position at the front of the frame. The top flap 39 may then be pulled forwardly over the top of the frame a desired distance to leave a top opening 49 suitable for use by a person occupying the blind to fire in an upward direction, as shown in Figure 8, and the door 38 may be released at its upper portion and folded downwardly to enlarge the opening, as shown in Figure 9, if desired.

The top fiap 39 may also be pulled forwardly to drop downwardly at the upper front portion of the frame to form a front flap 50 which terminates above the down- 3, wardlyfolded door to form a front window or opening 51 as shownin Figure 10, and by meansof which the person may fire in a forward, direction.

The side flaps 40 and 41 of the top flap extend downwardlyat the sides of the blind to prevent the entrance ofrain at the sides thereof. The front edge of the top flap 39 is formed with a casing 52 to receive arigid rod (not shown) to rest on the side rails 13 and 14, to prevent sagging of the top flap when the latter is pulled partly forward.

In order to fold the frame 5, the front cross bar 21 is released from pin 25 and front legs -6 and 7 may then fold upwardly parallel to the side rails 13 and 14 and the side rails and rear legs 8 and 9 may then be folded parallel to each other. The pivoted rear rail 18 enables the rear legs to be-folded toward each other into a parallel relation, as shown in Figure 2. 7

The frame 5 may be converted into a pup tent frame by removing the front cross bar '21 and then folding the front posts or legs 6 and 7 upwardly into parallel relation with the side rails 13 and 14 and tilting the folded front posts or legs and the side rails downwardly to rest on the ground. The front and rear legs then assume an inverted V-shape and the rear rail 18 forms a rigid pole and the cover is then placed under and over the tent frame with the top flap 39 covering one of the sloping sides of the frame and forming a door for the tent.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in construction and operation shown and described, andaccordingly, all suitable mpdifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A frame for a portable collapsible duck blind comprising a front pair of legs, a rear pair of legs, a pair of side rails and arear rail, said legs being adapted'to be driven into the ground, means pivotally connecting the rails to the upper portion of the legs for folding into a position parallel to each other, a front cross bar pivotally connected at one end to one of the front legs for folding into a position parallel thereto, said cross bar having an opening in its other end, and an upstanding pin supported in outwardly spaced apart relation on the other front leg for insertion in the opening of the cross bar for detachably connecting the cross bar at the front of the frame to lock the front legs to each other in upright position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 336,128 McCornas et al. Feb. 16, 1886 796,963 Eichenberg Aug. 8, 1905 1,900,335 Vecchio Mar. 7, 1933 2,168,913 Middleton Aug. 8, 1939 2,188,747 Bitti'ck r Jan. 30, 1940 2,334,435 Patterson et al Nov. 16, 1943 2,540,529 Johnson Feb. 6, 1951 

